Dance with Me
by allyrwhitney
Summary: Amber's engagement ball is coming up, and Sofia invites a reluctant Cedric to accompany her.


_I only own Prince Daryl._

Dance with Me

It was a beautiful early summer day in Enchancia. Sofia couldn't help but admire the view as she flew back to the castle on Skye after a mission to the Mystic Isles. The water near the castle shimmered in the afternoon sun. Colorful flowers were blooming in the garden. Skye landed by the front steps, and the princess dismounted.

"Thanks for the ride, Skye," she smiled at the unicorn. "I'll see you later."

"Farewell, my princess." He bowed before flying off.

Sofia hummed as she made her way up the steps. At eighteen, she was taller than she had been as a child, although she was still petite. Her auburn hair now fell halfway down her back in gentle waves. Even though she had been a princess for ten years, she still favored a simple wardrobe compared to some of her royal friends' more stylish ones. Two guards opened the doors for her.

"Ah, Princess Sofia," Baileywick greeted her as she stepped into the front hall. "How was your trip to the Mystic Isles?"

Sofia beamed. "It was –"

"SOFIA!"

The princess gasped and took a defensive stance as a gold blur came rushing at her. The blur stopped in front of her revealing… "Amber," she blinked. Amber rarely moved _that _fast. "What's going on?"

"I have been waiting all day for you, dear sister." Amber grabbed Sofia's arm and proceeded to drag her down a corridor. "Madame Collette needs you for a fitting for the gown you're wearing to my engagement ball."

"Wait, Amber," Sofia protested. "I'm supposed to go see Mr. Cedric. Can't my gown wait?"

Amber paused and fixed her younger sister with a pointed stare, folding her arms. "Sofia, the ball is tomorrow."

Sofia balked. "Tomorrow…?" She glanced back at Baileywick, who was following them.

He gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm afraid so, Princess Sofia. The engagement ball is tomorrow night at seven o'clock."

Sofia sighed. She had been so busy the last few weeks that she had completely forgotten about the ball. She may have graduated from Ever Realm Academy at the same time as Amber, but she still had her duties as a Storykeeper, Protector, and Cedric's apprentice. And she still tried to make time for her family and friends. Sometimes it could be overwhelming. With a defeated sigh she nodded. "Okay, Amber… Wait… I never even picked out a design for my gown."

The blonde smirked as she led her on. "Don't worry. I took care of it. You'll love it. Trust me."

...

Up in his tower, Cedric was anxiously pacing. He had spent most of the day collecting ingredients for potions and making lists of things that needed to be restocked. He had seen Sofia that morning just before she'd flown off on her unicorn friend. She had said she would be back by three o'clock to help him make a potion. It was now five o'clock.

"Oh, where is she?" he muttered to himself as he paced. "She's two hours late. I hope nothing happened to her on that blasted mission of hers… Merlin's mushrooms, am I talking to myself again?" He sighed. He often caught himself talking out loud. It was an old habit from years of talking to Wormwood. Wormwood's betrayal had hurt a great deal, but Cedric soon realized he had better friends than that wicked raven. Like Sofia. She was his best friend. She filled the lonely tower with her cheerfulness. He wished she was there right now. He wished he could keep her with him forever. He wished…

With another sigh, he stopped pacing and walked to the window. Something was bothering him. Something had been bothering him ever since Princess Amber had announced her engagement to Prince Daryl of Seasville a month ago. The royal children were all grown up now. Amber was getting married. James was often off with the knights. And Sofia… Well, she had her duties as a Protector, but Cedric couldn't help thinking how beautiful she had become over the years. There was always the possibility that she would meet someone special and eventually marry. Then she would go away to some far away kingdom, and he, Cedric, would never see her again.

There was a knock on the door. Before he could answer the door was pushed open and a cheerful voice filled the workshop. "Mr. Cedric, I'm so sorry I'm so late."

He shook his head as he turned from the window, trying to chase away the depressing thoughts. "It's all right, Sofia. I… Whoa…" His eyes widened and his mouth fell open as he stared at the vision before him. Instead of wearing her Protector outfit or one of her usual purple dresses, Sofia was now wearing a very elegant gown. The gown was pale blue with off the shoulder sleeves that were made from thin gold lace. The same gold lace was around her waist and the hem of her skirt. The skirt was long and billowing. The only things that were normal about her at that moment were that her hair was still tied back in a ponytail as it had been that morning, and she was still wearing her amulet and Enchantlet. "Wh–What are you wearing?"

She smiled sheepishly. "This is what I'm wearing to the ball tomorrow night. I had to get a final fitting. That's why I'm so late. I just didn't take the time to change out of it."

"It looks lovely on you," he said sincerely.

She blushed lightly. "Thanks, Mr. Cedric."

He shook his head, realizing he had been staring at her too long. He moved to his table where some ingredients were ready for use. "But if you're dressed like that I'm afraid we can't make the potion."

"Well, actually," she began, moving to stand beside him. "I was hoping to give you a lesson for a change."

"Oh, really?" He raised an eyebrow. "And what kind of lesson would that be?"

"A dancing lesson," she beamed.

"And why would I need to dance?"

"For the ball tomorrow. Amber said to invite you." She cleared her throat and did her best impression of her sister. "Oh, and Sofia, make sure you invite Cedric to the ball. And make sure he knows how to dance."

The sorcerer couldn't help chuckling. She really sounded like Amber. "I appreciate the invitation, Sofia, but you know I don't go to parties unless I have to provide entertainment. And since your father didn't ask me to do anything, except the decorations, I don't plan to be there." He walked over to one of the bookshelves.

Sofia's smile faded, and she bit her lip. It was true. She knew her friend wasn't much of a party person. She respected that. Still, she had been hoping that he would dance with her. She tried to hide her disappointment. "Please, Mr. Cedric," she said softly.

Cedric was about to climb his ladder to reach the higher shelves when he looked back at her and saw her big blue eyes, the eyes that he had never been able to say no to, looking sadly back at him. He cringed. He always hated to see her sad, especially if he was the cause of that sadness. With a heavy sigh, he moved away from the ladder. "Oh, very well."

Instantly, that beautiful smile was back, making his heart skip a beat. "Really?"

He offered her a small smile. "Anything for you, Sofia."

"Yay! You're the best, Mr. Cedric." She moved forward and hugged him quickly. Pulling away, she grinned. "So… the dance lesson?"

"Yes, yes, the dance lesson." He yelped as she grabbed his hand and dragged him to the middle of the workshop.

"Now…" She positioned herself in front of him. Taking his right hand, she placed it on her waist.

Cedric blushed and immediately removed his hand. "S-Sofia…"

She giggled as she replaced his hand. "This hand goes here." She put one hand on his shoulder and took his free hand in hers. "Just follow my lead."

For the first few minutes, Cedric was more focused on trying not to step on Sofia's feet, but eventually he relaxed and even twirled her a few times. They laughed and talked as they spun around the workshop. Before they knew it almost an hour had passed.

"It's nearly time for dinner," Cedric said at one point. "I expect you want to change out of your gown before you join your family."

The princess nodded. "I'd better go before Baileywick starts looking for me. I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Cedric." She hugged him and left.

Cedric started walking to his table. "Well, now I… Wait! Did I just agree to go to the royal engagement ball?" He turned and glared at the workshop door. "After all these years that girl can still talk me into doing things I wouldn't normally do." Then he started to laugh. "And after all this time I'm still giving in." Once more, he walked toward his table. "Best get some more work done."

…

Later that night, Cedric was putting things away before retiring for the evening when there was a knock on the door. Without waiting for a response, Baileywick pushed the door open. He was carrying a measuring tape, a quill, and a piece of parchment.

"Cedric, I'm here to take your measurements for the royal tailor," the steward announced.

Baffled, the sorcerer gaped at him. "What for?"

"Princess Sofia has informed us that you will be attending the ball tomorrow. And since you will likely be dancing with her, you'll need a new suit."

"And why can't I just conjure my own suit?"

"Because, Cedric, Princess Amber wants everything to be fashionably perfect." He gave Cedric a skeptical look. "And your taste in fashion is… outdated."

"_My_ taste is outdated." Cedric scoffed. "_You_ have been wearing the same thing since you became a steward."

"No, I haven't. I have different versions of my suit that I wear. But that's beside the point. Please remove your robe and vest so that I don't fall behind on schedule."

Cedric stared at the steward in disbelief. What more could the older man possibly have to do tonight? It was just after ten o'clock. "Fine," he relented. Turning away, he slowly untied the sash of his robe and slowly slipped the robe off. Then, just as slowly, he started unbuttoning his vest. He grinned when he heard Baileywick start tapping his foot impatiently on the stone floor.

"Any time now, Cedric."

"All right, all right," he sighed dramatically, slipping off his vest.

Baileywick gave the sorcerer a thorough measuring, writing the numbers down and asking Cedric for color preferences. After reminding him to decorate the ballroom the next day, he finally left with a "Good evening, Cedric."

"Poseidon's pumpkins," the sorcerer muttered as he picked up his wand and put out the candles around the workshop. "I'm going to bed before someone else comes up here about the ball."

…

The next day was like a blur to everyone in the castle. Baileywick supervised the cleaning of the ballroom. Some rooms were prepared for guests who would be staying overnight. In the kitchen, Chef Andre and his staff were hard at work making a special strawberry cake Amber had requested. In the late afternoon, Cedric made his way to the ballroom to do the decorating. It only took him a few minutes to complete the task. When he went back up the stairs to his tower, he found his new suit hanging on his workshop door. With a grimace, he unlocked the door and took the suit to his bedroom.

Sofia spent most of the day with Amber going over wedding plans. They discussed everything from the design of the wedding dress to the color of the linen napkins for the reception ball. The wedding wouldn't take place until next spring, but Amber wanted to get a head start on planning. In the afternoon, Prince Daryl arrived to have tea with his fiancé, and Sofia was able to slip away. She loved her sister dearly, but sometimes Amber could be a bit overwhelming when it came to planning big events.

Amber met Daryl during their final year at Ever Realm Academy. During a party the school had been hosting, the older Enchancian princess had slipped out of the ballroom to a secluded balcony for some fresh air and a few minutes of stargazing. She had been surprised to find that the balcony was already occupied by the dark haired gray eyed prince. They started talking about astronomy. Amber pointed out the _Amberina Major_. From there they had become close friends. After graduation they had started courting. Eventually Daryl proposed to Amber under a starry night sky, the same way they met.

…

Cedric glanced in the mirror as he hurriedly tied a white silk bowtie around his neck. He supposed he looked nice, but he was in too much of a rush to take note. He was already late for the ball. He had been so caught up in a potion he was making that he had completely forgotten about time.

He looked at his gloves on top of his dresser. No, he decided. They just didn't go with the formal attire. The suit consisted of a crisp white shirt, a dark green vest, a purple jacket, and black trousers. His shoes were formal versions of his everyday shoes, shiny and smooth. Finishing the bowtie, he took one last look in the mirror running his fingers through his hair. With a nod of approval, he left the tower.

…

In the ballroom, Sofia was standing near the stairs, a small frown forming on her lips. She was dressed in her blue gown with her hair swept up in an elegant updo. A silver and crystal tiara rested on top of her head. The only jewelry she wore was her amulet, having decided to forgo her Enchantlet for the night.

She sighed. Cedric was late. Amber and Daryl had made their grand entrance twenty minutes ago, and the party had begun. People were dancing on the dance floor or standing around the buffet table talking. Was he even coming? He said he would. Maybe he changed his mind. Maybe he just forgot. She should probably go check on him…

"Hey, Sof," James grinned enthusiastically as he walked over to her, looking quite dashing in his green and gold suit. "Want to dance?"

She smiled and shook her head. "No, thanks, James. I'm waiting for Mr. Cedric."

He looked confused. "He's not here yet? I thought he helped with the decorations."

She rolled her eyes. "He did. This afternoon."

"Oh, well… He did a brilliant job." He eyed the buffet table. "Well, I think I'll go try some of those cookies. See you, Sof." He waved as he walked away.

Sofia just shook her head. She had to admit the ballroom did look spectacular. Since Amber and Daryl both liked astronomy Roland had asked Cedric for a spell that would make the ceiling look like the night sky. The result was ah–mazing. There were even shooting stars every now and then. There were candles on every table and a few torches on the walls. The room was dimmer than usual, but it wasn't too dim so that people couldn't see.

She began to watch the guests. So many people had come to the party. She was happy to see some familiar faces from Royal Prep and Ever Realm Academy. James had invited some of his knight friends. Others were friends of Roland and Miranda. She saw Vivian and her parents chatting with the royal family of Wei Ling. She smiled upon seeing Hildegard and Clio dancing with handsome princes. Zandar and Desmond were standing with James near the buffet table. She waved as Ruby and Jade walked by with cups of punch. And she saw…

"Princess Sofia, you look gorgeous as usual," a boastful voice said as its owner strode up to her, stopping right in front of her.

Sofia tried not to grimace as she looked up at the dark haired prince before her. "Hello, Hugo," she greeted pleasantly. She and Hugo had been friends at Royal Prep, but that had changed after graduation. During his teenage years he had become more arrogant and boastful than he ever had been before. And he somehow managed to get his way with most things.

"Want to dance?" He held out a hand to her.

"No, thank you. I'm waiting for someone."

He leaned forward as she leaned back. "But they're not here yet. We can–"

"Hey, Hugo." James was back placing his hand on the other prince's shoulder. "Come try some of these cookies. We have your favorite. Lemon cream." He winked at his sister as the two of them walked away.

Sofia smiled gratefully. She would have to thank him later. Before she could think too much about it she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she couldn't help her smile growing bigger. "Mr. Cedric! You came."

"I said I would, didn't I?" He smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry I'm late. I got a bit… distracted."

"Oh, it's fine. I'm glad you're here now." She blinked when she realized he was dressed in a suit instead of his usual robe. "Wow! You look nice tonight."

"Oh, I'd better," he said sarcastically. "Baileywick practically forced me to wear this. And I see that he is still wearing the same thing he always does." He eyed the steward, who was standing near Roland as the king sampled some new flavors of Jiggly Wiggly pudding while Miranda stood next to him, an amused look on her face. When he saw the sorcerer looking at him, Baileywick smirked and waved. "Sometime I'm going to put a spell on that time–obsessed steward."

"Oh, Mr. Cedric," she giggled. Suddenly she became shy, clasping her hands in front of her and blushing slightly. "So… will you dance with me?"

"Why not?" he smiled. "I believe that's why I'm here." He held out a hand to her.

She stared at his hand before taking it and observing it curiously.

"What?" he asked.

"You're not wearing your gloves."

He blinked. "They didn't go with this suit. Really, Sofia? You _have _seen me without my gloves before."

"Rarely," she laughed. "I think the last time was a few years ago, when you took them off because they had sticky stuff on them. I guess I'm just a little surprised." Still laughing, she grasped his hand, pulling him to the dance floor.

At first, Cedric was a little nervous. Dancing in his workshop was one thing. Dancing in a room full of people was another. But Sofia's beautiful smile soon restored his confidence as they spun around the room. For her part, Sofia was practically glowing. Cedric was here, dancing with her. There was no one she would rather be with at the moment. To her dismay, the music seemed to end almost as soon as it started.

As they walked off the dance floor, Sofia was about to ask Cedric to dance again when someone tapped her on the shoulder. Turning, she smiled at Amber and Daryl. Amber looked lovely in her gold and silver gown with her blond hair swept up in a fancy bun. Daryl was dressed in a maroon and silver suit. "Hi, Amber! Are you having fun?"

"Oh, yes," the blonde girl beamed. "This is the best night ever. Oh," she glanced at her fiancé. "Daryl wanted to meet Cedric."

The sorcerer blinked. "Meet… me?"

"Of course," the prince smiled as he stepped forward. "So you're _the _Cedric the Great? I've heard so much about you, mostly from Sofia. She said you're 'the most ah–mazing, the most talented, and the greatest sorcerer in the Ever Realm'. So, yes, I've been wanting to meet you for a while now." He gestured to the ballroom in general. "Plus, you did an awesome job on the decorations."

Cedric was blushing profusely at the high praise. Oh, he could think of a few sorcerers, Merlin for one, who were greater than him. He glanced at Sofia, who was trying to stifle giggles behind a hand, her cheeks tinted pink. Did she really think that way about him? Of course she did. She had said so many times. He smiled shyly at the prince. "Th–Thank you, Prince Daryl."

"Anytime, Cedric," he grinned. He turned to the auburn haired princess. "Now, can I have a dance with my future sister–in–law?"

"Sure," she smiled, taking his hand.

"So that's your Cedric?" he asked as they began to dance. "Funny… I thought he would be wearing a robe."

She laughed. "Most of the time he does. He also wears gloves."

Left alone with Enchancia's future queen, Cedric felt a little awkward. It wasn't that he didn't like Amber. She had certainly matured over the years, and he had no doubt she would make a fine queen. He just couldn't think of anything to say. Finally he cleared his throat, getting her attention. "Congratulations on your engagement, Princess Amber."

She smiled. "Thanks, Cedric. So…" She raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to ask me to dance? I mean, this _is _a ball after all…"

He blinked in surprise but smiled. "It would be an honor to dance with the future queen." He bowed and extended a hand to her.

"Oh, wow!" she exclaimed, taking his hand and looking at it.

The sorcerer just rolled his eyes. He had a feeling he knew what was coming…

"You're not wearing your gloves," she giggled. "I always thought they were the outer layer of your skin."

He scoffed. "Very funny, Princess Amber. Do you want to dance or not?"

"Oh, Cedric, I'm just teasing, Calm down." With that, she pulled him to the dance floor.

…

After his dance with Amber, Cedric looked around for Sofia, only to find that she was now dancing with her brother. He stood near the buffet table to wait for her. But when the music ended, she was approached by another prince. Then another… and another… Soon, Cedric could feel something welling up inside him. All those princes were young and handsome, and he… was just an old sorcerer with a long nose. Eventually, he found a chair in a corner where he could sit and watch his princess dance with the other men. She looked happy. Perhaps he should just go back to his tower… He didn't know how long he had been sitting there, maybe thirty minutes, but he was brought out of his thoughts when a cup of punch suddenly appeared in front of his face.

He blinked, realizing that Sofia was standing in front of him offering him a drink. He accepted with a nod.

Smiling, she sat in a chair beside him with her own punch. "So, why are you sitting over here sulking?"

"I wasn't sulking," he pouted childishly. "I don't sulk."

She gave him a sarcastic look as she sipped her drink. "Uh huh."

He sighed. "If you must know, I think I should just go back to my tower. You seem to be enjoying yourself without me."

"Well, how could I say no?" she asked gently, shrugging. "James, Desmond, Zandar… They all wanted to dance with me."

"Sofia, I'm sure every prince here in this room tonight would like to dance with you." He looked at her curiously. "How did you even manage to get away and come over here?"

"I was dancing with Prince Hugo." She gestured toward the dark haired prince who seemed to be leaving. And… was he limping? "He started talking about how 'gorgeous' I would look on my wedding day. Seriously! It was like he'd already planned the wedding. He can be so…" She paused, unable to think of a nice word to describe the prince. "Anyway, I may have _accidently _stepped on his foot."

Cedric sputtered, getting punch all over his face as he started laughing.

"Mr. Cedric," she cried. "It's not funny!"

"Yes, it is," he insisted, pulling out his wand and conjuring a handkerchief to wipe his face. "You, Princess Sofia, the kindest person in the Ever Realm, step on a pompous prince's foot so you don't have to dance with him anymore. _That_, my dear, is hilarious."

As he continued to snicker, Sofia leaned forward, propping her chin in one hand. Okay, she did feel a little guilty, but she had had just about enough of Hugo's overbearing attitude. It didn't help that he'd practically stolen her from Desmond in the middle of a dance. She was glad he was gone.

When the sorcerer calmed down, they sat in silence for a few minutes finishing their drinks and watching everyone in the ballroom. Finally, Sofia turned back to him. "Will you dance with me again?"

"Hmm, what about the other princes?"

She thought for a minute and stood up, pulling him to his feet. "Okay, how about this? I promise to dance with you for the rest of the night." She smiled sweetly. "You know I keep my promises."

He couldn't help the large grin that spread across his face. "And what will you tell anyone who wants to dance with you?"

"I'll just say I promised to dance with my favorite sorcerer."

…

A few hours later, Cedric walked Sofia to her room. They were both smiling. It had been a wonderful evening. Outside the princess's door, she took his hands and squeezed them gently. "Thank you for coming to the ball tonight. It meant a lot to me."

"I was happy to be there with you, Sofia," he said softly.

She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Good night… Cedric." Opening her door, she went inside and closed it softly.

Stunned, Cedric put a hand to his cheek. Had she just dropped his title for the first time? And did she just… kiss him? "Yes… Good night, Sofia," he whispered before heading to his tower to retire for the night.

A/N: Thanks for reading. I actually came up with this story around the time the show ended. This was actually going to be a longer story, but I could never think of anything past the first chapter, so I decided to make it a one shot. I hope you enjoyed.


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